I just read ‘Watching the Wheels’ again, so here are a few spontaneous comments, not a critique.
The writing is compelling, and the interaction between the two characters is finely drawn, much left unsaid yet implied in the silences. Road journeys can create a kind of claustrophobia, and the music one chooses provides the ‘score’ to the concentrated drama unfolding. As someone who comes from the era of The Beatles and the solo John Lennon, and who has personally striven not to ‘sell out’ by pursuing life enhancing work in travel, publishing and the arts, I believe that there is no such thing as getting it right.
Life is charged with frustration, missed and taken opportunities. I believe that predestination is always subconsciously at work.
What comes across to me in your sensitive interpretation of this particular impasse is the way in which the narrator tries to strike a compromise with her friend, not to be too judgemental.
Very generally speaking, it is always healthy to take risks, to do something ‘out of character’, in that all of our early days clearing a path through the jungle of life are formed by our upbringing, schooling and preconceived ideas that are foisted upon us.
Do we ever truly find ourselves? Almost impossible. ‘Hippy’ philosophy set against the hard naked need to make a living and survive in an increasingly crazy world.
You write with great empathy and insight. To me, it is more the feeling of being within a cocoon - represented here by a finite little road trip - from which there is no
Immediate release.
These are just a few thoughts.
You have a very individualistic style, and a second more thorough reading created a strong feeling of the fragility of life.
Hi Robert, what a stunning comment!! Thank you for taking the time to read and giving me such beautiful words. I agree with you, there is no way to get it right, whether you’re “selling out” or not. You’ve created such feeling and imagery around this little story, very grateful to have a reader like you! Courage courage courage ! We can only hope to keep striving forward with it!:)
This is great, the dialogue is so natural. I aspire to ‘do dialogue’ as well as you.
There’s much in this that I can relate to. I often feel like I’ve lived someone else’s life. I hope to find the courage to make some changes, inspire (in part anyway) by your writing.
Any work based on a song by the Arctic Monkeys and that references The Beatles as much as this one is always going to hit the mark with me.
and ahh the beatles, so grateful to have them as a throughline in this story <3 hope this has shown you that you can always make changes, there is no right or wrong way to do life:)) thanks for reading
Cece, I read it and it felt like I was right there — windows down, tired souls, too much unsaid. life’s weird, huh? either way, you lose a little!! Keep up your writing.
Good Morning Cece.
I just read ‘Watching the Wheels’ again, so here are a few spontaneous comments, not a critique.
The writing is compelling, and the interaction between the two characters is finely drawn, much left unsaid yet implied in the silences. Road journeys can create a kind of claustrophobia, and the music one chooses provides the ‘score’ to the concentrated drama unfolding. As someone who comes from the era of The Beatles and the solo John Lennon, and who has personally striven not to ‘sell out’ by pursuing life enhancing work in travel, publishing and the arts, I believe that there is no such thing as getting it right.
Life is charged with frustration, missed and taken opportunities. I believe that predestination is always subconsciously at work.
What comes across to me in your sensitive interpretation of this particular impasse is the way in which the narrator tries to strike a compromise with her friend, not to be too judgemental.
Very generally speaking, it is always healthy to take risks, to do something ‘out of character’, in that all of our early days clearing a path through the jungle of life are formed by our upbringing, schooling and preconceived ideas that are foisted upon us.
Do we ever truly find ourselves? Almost impossible. ‘Hippy’ philosophy set against the hard naked need to make a living and survive in an increasingly crazy world.
You write with great empathy and insight. To me, it is more the feeling of being within a cocoon - represented here by a finite little road trip - from which there is no
Immediate release.
These are just a few thoughts.
You have a very individualistic style, and a second more thorough reading created a strong feeling of the fragility of life.
Keep going. I look forward to the next story.
‘Courage’, as the French say!
Hi Robert, what a stunning comment!! Thank you for taking the time to read and giving me such beautiful words. I agree with you, there is no way to get it right, whether you’re “selling out” or not. You’ve created such feeling and imagery around this little story, very grateful to have a reader like you! Courage courage courage ! We can only hope to keep striving forward with it!:)
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wow, this is lovely! such a wonderful slice-of-life piece that feels so human. thank you for sharing!
Thank you for reading kaityn 💓that’s my aim! To keep things feeling human :)) glad you enjoyed xx
This is great, the dialogue is so natural. I aspire to ‘do dialogue’ as well as you.
There’s much in this that I can relate to. I often feel like I’ve lived someone else’s life. I hope to find the courage to make some changes, inspire (in part anyway) by your writing.
Any work based on a song by the Arctic Monkeys and that references The Beatles as much as this one is always going to hit the mark with me.
Thanks for sharing.
and ahh the beatles, so grateful to have them as a throughline in this story <3 hope this has shown you that you can always make changes, there is no right or wrong way to do life:)) thanks for reading
Cece, I read it and it felt like I was right there — windows down, tired souls, too much unsaid. life’s weird, huh? either way, you lose a little!! Keep up your writing.
thank you!! life does have a funny little way of guiding us!
I enjoyed reading this- it felt familiar- not the subject but the half argument - stating your side - one person judging- - well done.
Thank you! So glad you could relate :) tried my best to keep it somewhat balanced xx